


Hail To The Chief

by Amy (InnitMarvelous), I love Tony Stark 3000 FOREVER (InnitMarvelous), InnitMarvelous, tsg (InnitMarvelous)



Series: Dear Tony [11]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Everything is so fresh and new, F/M, Fresh Grief, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Letters, Pepper's pain is really raw here, raw grief
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:48:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24419134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InnitMarvelous/pseuds/Amy, https://archiveofourown.org/users/InnitMarvelous/pseuds/I%20love%20Tony%20Stark%203000%20FOREVER, https://archiveofourown.org/users/InnitMarvelous/pseuds/InnitMarvelous, https://archiveofourown.org/users/InnitMarvelous/pseuds/tsg
Summary: Pepper gets a phone call.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Pepper Potts
Series: Dear Tony [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1608019
Kudos: 6





	Hail To The Chief

Tony,

I received a phone call today from the President of the United States. No, he was not calling to ask me to try to reinstate the weapons division of Stark _Industries ~~because if that's why he had been calling me, he would have been lucky if I ever~~ _ ~~took _any_ of his calls again in the future, _President of the United States or not_ ~~. 

No the reason why he called me was to offer his condolences over your loss ~~It was very~~ ~~_hard_ ~~ ~~not to laugh at his wording choices because~~ ~~_yes_ you lost your life but I feel like I'm the one who lost _so much more_ ~~ ~~. I felt like I have lost everything and if I didn't have Morgan~~ and because he told me he would like my consent to hold a nationally televised service for you. 

I reminded ~~told~~ him that we, your family, had already held a funeral service for you. He then asked me to forgive his slip of the tongue, and said of course we had, but he didn't stop there. He told me that he shouldn't have called what they, his administration, wants to do for you a funeral. Instead he said the service that they wish to hold for you is more accurately described as a _memorial_ service. He then told me one of the things he wishes to do during the service is award you the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and asked if I, as your wife ~~widow~~ would accept it on your behalf.

I didn't give the President an answer right then, but I asked for some time to consider it.

But I don't think I am going to say yes.

I haven't told anyone about the President's phone call or what he asked me. I haven't even told Rhodey. I'm not sure I will ever tell anyone about it because I am not sure I can do this. I'm not sure I can handle exposing myself or my pain to the public. And I know if I tell Rhodey he might say that I should agree to letting the President have the public memorial for you. He'll probably point out that you deserve to be lauded on by the very people whose lives you saved when you snapped your fingers. 

I can almost hear him say those words, and then I can hear the laugh cry sound he'd make before saying something like _You know, this whole thing the President wants to do is just what Tony would need to make that already gargantuan sized ego of his even bigger, right?_ I can see him trying to smile as he's saying this, while he’s trying not to cry, and I know that would last all of two seconds. I can see his face crumbling so _clearly_ in my mind.

He's really having a hard time with… with all of this

Happy too

Both of them have been having a hard time with 

with _this_ but I think

But I think Rhodey has really been having to fight not to break down when he's around us ~~around me or when he looks at Morgan~~. Tony, he _loved_ you so _much_ and to watch him have to struggle with this is... almost as... as

You know I can't even think of a word to describe the never ending suffering the three of us have been trapped in for these past three weeks.

Has it is only been three weeks since

One glance at the calendar tells me, _yes_ it's only been three weeks.

I want you back.

I want you back so _much_ that I have spent every night since that day begging... pleading with someone... anyone... who I don't know to _please_ give you back to me

or failing that, to please please _PLEASE_ wake me up from this existence where you no longer exist in it.

I can't _live_ like this, Tony

You once told me that I was the one thing you couldn't live without

Well, I _can't_ live without you.

Please, come back to me like you always did before

Please

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> You can find a timeline to this series [HERE](https://caribbeanblue.dreamwidth.org/2157.html).


End file.
